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Lake Tai
| type = | inflow = | outflow = | catchment = | basin_countries = China | length = | width = | area = 2,250 km² | depth = 2 m | max-depth = | volume = | residence_time = | shore = | elevation = | islands = 90 | cities = }} Lake Tai ( ; literally "Grand Lake") is a large lake in the Yangtze Delta plain, on the border of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. With an area of 2,250 km² and an average depth of 2 metreshttp://www.szkp.org.cn/suzhoudili/szdl/200606/06634333.htm , it is the third largest freshwater lake in China, after the Poyang and Dongting Lakes. The lake houses about 90 islands, ranging in size from a few square meters to several square miles. Lake Tai is linked to the renowned Grand Canal. The lake is also the origin for a number of rivers, including Suzhou Creek. Business and Industry - The region surrounding the lake is one of China's largest grain producing locations in China. - The lake is also known for its productive fishing industry, and is often occupied by fleets of small private fishing boats. Pollution In May 2007, the lake was overtaken by a major algae boom. Authorities are blaming this on the lowest water levels in 50 years. However, low water levels alone did not cause these blooms. Increases in nutrients, from fertilizer for example, create conditions conducive to algae blooms, which has polluted the water with a toxic blue substance and a foul smell, making the water unusable. The Chinese government has called the lake a major natural disaster despite the clearly anthropogenic origin of this environmental catastrophe . With the average price of bottled water rising to six times the normal rate, the government has banned all regional water providers from implementing price hikes. . The city of Wuxi, which draws its tap water from the lake, has been particularly badly affected. As of October 2007, the Chinese government had shut down or given notice to over 1,300 factories around the lake. Some view the anti-pollution move as overkill, but Chinese authorities are paying increasing attention to the environment. Notwithstanding this official increase of governmental concern, one of the leading environmentalists who has been publicizing the pollution issues of the lake, Wu Lihong, has now received a three year prison sentence after being arrested and tried for alleged extortion of one of the polluters. "In China, a Lake’s Champion Imperils Himself" article by Joseph Kahn in the New York Times October 14, 2007. References External links and further reading *"Lake Tai: China's 3rd Largest Lake Fights to Survive" Report prepared by Dr. William Chang of the National Science Foundation, who served in a temporary duty capacity from August to September 2002 at Consulate Shanghai as a visiting Science Fellow *World Lakes Database *World Bank report, 2004 *"China Vows to Clean Up Polluted Lake" article by Jim Yardley in the New York Times October 27, 2007 Category:Lakes of China Taihu